Buckethead's Blog at LumberJocks.comhttp://lumberjocks.com/Buckethead/blog
Sun, 07 Jul 2013 00:11:25 GMTTwo brutal days at work, then a small reward afterward.http://lumberjocks.com/Buckethead/blog/36738
I have just endured a couple long days at a retail remodel job I’m working on. I’ll spare the details, save this:

These were part of display tables which had been discarded after the store had received new fixtures. The tops were actually attractive, but were veneered MDF, and I didn’t have the capacity to transport and store too much anyway.

The legs… Solid hard maple. Not glue ups… But solid:

I got 8 of these and 8 smaller, different ones.

And some drawer hardware from som fragrance showcases:

There will be miles of these by the time this job is over.

Here is the yield of the skirts/aprons. All true 4/4+ already planed and jointed:

Oh yeah! And these scraps from a valance… Prefabricated sleds, HPL already on board, just awaiting rails and a purpose:

I will say this: Salvaging materials while I’m working is difficult. The pressure to perform is high. Removing hardware is not an efficient way to dispose of old casework, for example. Summoning the motivation to jump into a dumpster and dismantle tables is also a task in and of itself. So many miles of usable, even valuable stock of various types have I seen hauled away to the landfill.

I’m glad I mustered enough energy to grab these few things today.

There will be literally tons of various MDF/HPL stock and cabinetry headed out the door next week. Much pressure to meet deadlines. Will I get more usable stock???

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Sun, 07 Jul 2013 00:11:25 GMThttp://lumberjocks.com/Buckethead/blog/36738BucketheadBucketheadPlaning, discovery, patience... Still waiting for it.http://lumberjocks.com/Buckethead/blog/36708
In a recent post asking if my planer was sufficient for planing some larger stock I recently acquired, I told the story of how I came to get some chunky 8” x 8’ x 8/4 hard maple.

I also mentioned that I intended to use it for my first real wood joinery project; a roubo bench.

I’ve decided to mimic many aspects of Shipwright’s bench as well as his wedge powered leg vice. I’m still on the fence whether to incorporate his wedge powered wagon vice. It’s beautiful, but some of the cuts seem outside my capacity.

I asked for advice, and got it. My planer has no infeed/out feed tables, so I was apprehensive. People suggested I’d be fine so long as I provided solid and stable supports for the timber at both the infeed and out feed sides. Ugly, but it worked like a dream:

I said it was ugly.

So plane away I did. I planed down the 8/4 maple then grabbed the ugly piece of 8/4 walnut I have. After a few passes ( I was making light passes as recommended) that ugly board was transformed:

In the background you can see why my “shop” lol, is in my driveway. The darling wife gets to park her car inside, and I have quite a few power tools and other apparatus acquired over time for various functions in the field. The “shelf” in the middle is actually a cart. It moves over to the right, along with bicycles and the lawnmower. So space is at a premium. Still working on that as I am able.

Which brings to mind; would it be a crime to put my roubo bench on casters? I will likely need to shuffle my space around for some time.

The day i got them, I played with them a bit but I must confess that initially I had poor results and I suspected it was due to my own inexperience. Once I had the faces of this stock surfaced, of course I had to have another go at hand planing.

Now I’ve seen quite a few guys post pics of their planes and shavings. It seemed just a bit silly, but now I think I understand it a bit better:

First, I started out with the #5 then moved into the #4. I don’t yet have a jointer plane but after getting the feel for these, I surely will. In fact, I even wonder if I could forgo the purchase of the powered jointer. Perhaps I am filled with hubris after experiencing the joy that comes from making shavings with a hand plane. Time will tell.

There is just something right about it.

So then it was on to honoring the founding of the United States by grilling meats outdoors. Oh… And my lovely daughter made a wonderful desert:

Sinco de Mayo… Canada Day, and Independence Day all within a few short weeks of each other. Wonderful times.

So I’m working, rehabbing an office space for a medical practice to utilize while their new multi million dollar complex is being built, and by the dumpster is a hideous cabinet of some sort.

Mostly veneered particle board, but upon closer inspection, there is a bit of hardwood to be had. Now I pride myself in doing full service for a client. This eyesore does not belong outside my client’s new office, even if it is temporary. I need to break it down and put it in the dumpster. So why not salvage the little wood that’s there? So I did.

Not much, but there’s a pretty grain. Not sure what species. (Any guesses?) looks walnutty…. But I don’t think so.

Not enough to build anything substantial, but surely I can find a use. I have been practicing hand cut dovetails, and my daughter has asked me to make a tool box for her. I had already started the toolbox, (painted pine which was salvaged from a remodel some time ago. been hanging about quite some time) but broke the pins on an end piece when dry fitting them. I turned the grain upright for the end pieces, so the pins are delicate until joined. (I might have shed a very manly tear)

So time to re-do, and now I have some nice new stock for a handle.

My wife seemingly abhors fine furnishings, unless they are abused, scarred, abandoned, neglected, scraped, dinged or as she calls it, Shabby Chic. So I decided to keep this toolbox in that style.

Now I realize this isn’t one of those OMG! Type projects… Just a simple box and a n00b practicing hand cut dovetails. But I will say, it was done with love, and my precious daughter in mind. I got a bit hasty, so while chiseling out the mortises for the handle, I did cause some tear out. Another lesson learned. Sometimes it’s just better to finish in the morning.

More lessons learned: Chisels are awesome. Who knew? My first few try’s at dovetails I really struggled, but two things happened different today.

1) I went to WoodCraft and bought 3 more chisels. I had only purchased a Stanley Sweetheart 1/2” chisel before, but I went back and got a 1/4”, 3/8, and 1”. Cleaning out goes better by far with the 3/8 vs the 1/2. (I had been advised to get four chisels to start out, but stubbornly just bought the 1/2” thinking I’d make do)

2) The back side of the chisel is the sweet spot. Using the straightness of the edge and the back side is the way to make a clean cut.

Next up, a 5/8 and a 3/4. Using the chisels today, a light just came on. I wasn’t frustrated. It was working like it seemed it should. Don’t try too hard. Try easy. This is what I must always remind myself.

Well… If you made it this far, you must be bored. I’m just reflecting on my day, and patting myself on the back. Sushi for dinner.

Does anyone else like the Salmon Roe? It has become my favorite. It’s like salmony butter.